Kodak Picture Company

(1888—1997)

George Eastman introduced the “Kodak No. 1” camera in 1888. Kodak, known for simplicity, convenience, and realistic prices, essentially created the amateur photographer. The amateur picture-taker took “snapshots” with ease, and the popularity of Kodak cameras grew exponentially through the 1900s. Kodak also produced quality film and products for many other industries, but the company never stopped producing products that gave consumers an easy way to take and develop their captured memories.

Stories

Advertisements in Local Newspapers

Newspaper advertising illustrates the reach and popularity of products in their time. These Kodak advertisements for Kodak No. 1 and the first Brownie camera show how much these products appealed to the masses. Kodak created the “snapshot” and the amateur photographer. With the introduction of these products, picture-taking became not only easy, but extremely popular. For example, in the Brownie ad, a child uses the camera to take a photo of friends, showing how easy it was to use a camera. Kodak offered people an inexpensive and simple camera, which they immediately began using. To this day, Kodak remains one of the most popular names in the professional and public worlds of photography.

Indian Hits Amateur Photographer

When the Kodak No. 1 camera became popular, a new league of amateur photographers sprung up throughout America. The camera, largely advertised for use on vacations, became bothersome to people in tourist towns. This article reports a story of a male tourist visiting from Philadelphia. He encountered several Indians and when he found the chief, he took out his “Kodak” and snapped a picture. The Indian chief became angry and punched the tourist. At the end of the article the reporter slightly justifies the fight by saying many suffer from the annoying amateur photographer. This article reveals not only the popularity of the Kodak camera, but also how the massive number of Kodak users irritated helpless picture victims throughout America.